Hammersmith Bridge (1)

Leonie Cooper: Can you update me on the current status of funding for the works on Hammersmith Bridge?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has already committed £25 million to the restoration of the bridge and, together with London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, has now submitted a bid to the Government for the additional funding required.

Hammersmith Bridge (2)

Leonie Cooper: Can you update me on when the temporary bridge might be installed at Hammersmith Bridge?

The Mayor: Subject to planning permission, works on the temporary bridge are expected to start in summer 2020.

Hammersmith Bridge (3)

Leonie Cooper: Many constituents have complained that the additional bus services, put in to deal with the consequences of the closure of Hammersmith Bridge, are inadequate. What plans does TfL have to improve these bus services, especially during the rush hours?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is continually monitoring the situation in this area, and has already made changes to the bus network, such as extending bus route 419 to Roehampton.
TfL’s data from manual surveys and ticketing systems suggests that the current level of service provided is adequate for demand under usual traffic conditions, and there are no current plans to enhance bus services.
TfL will continue to keep this under review, and would be happy to discuss specific reports of crowding or gaps in service.

Dial-a-Ride (1)

Keith Prince: In 2004/05 Dial-a-Ride completed 1,260,669 trips and there were 99,821 refusals. In 2018/19 Dial-a-Ride completed 1,000,525 trips and there were 135,296 refusals. This means the number of completed trips across London has fallen by 260,144 (20.6%) while refusals have increased by 35,475 (35.5%). Do you think this is acceptable?

The Mayor: Dial-a-Ride measures its performance in relation to the percentage of requests for which it is able to schedule a journey for the customer. In 2018/19 Dial-a-Ride exceeded its target of 89% of requests scheduled, achieving 90% of requests scheduled over that year. This was broadly in line with its performance in previous years.
The period 2004/05 was before the introduction of Dial-a-Ride’s current computerised booking and scheduling system, which brought in more accurate recording and reporting of requests and refusals than previously. Consequently, it is difficult to make accurate comparisons between the current computerised reporting, and the previous pen and paper system.
At the same time, the accessibility of the mainstream public transport network improved considerably between 2004/5 and 2018/19, enabling more older and disabled Londoners to use these services rather than specialist door-to-door services such as Dial-a-Ride. This has resulted in a reduction in demand for Dial-a-Ride.

Dial-a-Ride (3)

Keith Prince: Dial-a-Ride’s service would be much improved if users were guaranteed a round trip. Will you make those users that guarantee?

The Mayor: Dial-a-Ride always attempts to provide both outward and return parts of a journey. However, when this is not possible due to resources not being available, customers are offered the part of the journey that can be provided.
This policy was developed after customer consultation which found a number of Dial-a-Ride members used the service in conjunction with other door-to-door services such as Taxicard, and preferred to be offered the option of a one-way journey on Dial-a-Ride rather than this being refused because the other portion could not be accommodated.
Removing this option for passengers would reduce the number of trips that the Dial-a-Ride service is able to offer.

Numbers of Engineer Assessments of Tube Noise

Jennette Arnold: Please provide the number of engineer visits that have taken place to assess levels of tube noise in residential buildings between Highbury and Islington and King’s Cross stations. Please breakdown the response year by year for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The Mayor: The following number of engineer visits to assess residential noise levels have taken place between Highbury & Islington and King’s Cross St. Pancras between 2015 and 2019:

Tube noise

Andrew Dismore: The increased level of tube noise and vibration from Northern line underground trains between Golders Green and Hampstead stations are causing real issues for residents from loss of sleep at night times. Thiscomplaint has been registered before but the noise levels have now increased extraordinarily over the last two months. What will you do to address this problem urgently?

The Mayor: Over recent years Transport for London (TfL) has received six complaints from residents in this area. Following these complaints, TfL carried out re-railing and joint removal works.
In recent weeks, TfL has received a further complaint regarding Tube noise in this area. TfL will arrange for further readings to be taken in this property and carry out any practical action to reduce noise levels.
I have asked that TfL officers keep you updated on progress.

Temporary Hammersmith Bridge (2)

Tony Devenish: What will this bespoke temporary pedestrian bridge cost the taxpayer?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has committed £25m towards the projected costs of the restoration of the bridge and installation of a temporary bridge. This contribution has funded early investigations, the initial feasibility, monitoring and concept design work for the restoration, and is also expected to be sufficient to cover the cost of a temporary bridge for walking and cycling.
The bridge will be using standard design and materials, and will be more of an ‘off-the-shelf’ type product rather than a bespoke one. The concept design for the temporary bridge is due to be completed in April 2020, at which time TfL will be able to provide an outline cost estimate.
Further design work will then allow TfL to provide a more refined cost estimate.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (6)

David Kurten: What type of taxi service is your preferred choice in the future, is it a service where taxis are hailed directly from the street, or is it a service where taxis are booked on demand via an App?

The Mayor: I was clear in my Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan that I wanted to create a vibrant taxi and private hire market, with space for all providers to flourish. It is up to customers to decide how they wish to engage taxi services, but the more ways services are offered (within legislative requirements) the wider the audience they will reach.

Appointing the next TfL Commissioner

Tony Devenish: Having had a chance to reflect on my suggestion at the Assembly Plenary meeting of 5th March 2020 , do you agree that the it would make sense to involve the current Chair and Deputy Chair of the Assembly in the appointment of the next TfL Commissioner to assist in transforming TfL's "tin ear on customer service"?

The Mayor: As you are aware, the TfL Commissioner is not subject to the Assembly confirmation process. The appointment of the TfL Commissioner is a matter reserved to the TfL Board under Standing Orders. There will be a paper going to the TfL Board meeting seeking a delegation of the decision to appoint the Commissioner to the Chair of TfL in consultation with the Interview Panel, made up of Board Members.
The board of TfL has a range of expertise and under my watch has become more diverse. This brings different perspectives to the appointment process.

District and Piccadilly Lines Maintenance

Tony Devenish: Both District and Piccadilly Lines were closed for maintenance on the weekend of the 15th/16th February. Rail replacement buses stopped at Wimbledon, with those who wanted to head into South Kensington advised to take the irregular, single deck C1 bus. In retrospect, do you consider this was acceptable? What would you do differently in the future?

The Mayor: During this partial closure of the District and Piccadilly lines, Transport for London (TfL) carried out a number of vital works, including track renewal and drainage improvements, as well as works to progress step-free access at Wimbledon Park station.
Whilst these works were carried out, five replacement bus routes were in service - including buses from Wimbledon to Kensington and Hammersmith - and an enhanced service was operated on bus routes 9, 14 and 74, to serve passengers between South Kensington and Hammersmith.
Having reviewed this closure and the impact on customers, TfL acknowledges that a dedicated rail replacement bus should have been in service between South Kensington and Hammersmith, via Earl’s Court.
While there are not any current plans for a similar closure, TfL will ensure that such a rail replacement bus is implemented if this takes place.

Temporary Hammersmith Bridge (1)

Tony Devenish: When will the Pell Frischmann proposed temporary Hammersmith Bridge be open to scrutiny as an option?

The Mayor: The temporary waking and cycling crossing – which would be commissioned and built by Transport for London (TfL) and has been initially designed by Pell Frischmann - would ensure Londoners can continue to travel across the Thames on foot or by bike while essential repairs are carried out to restore the original bridge.
TfL is currently undertaking a public engagement exercise, and is keen to hear views from local residents and stakeholders on these proposals. The proposal will then be subject to planning permission from both the London Boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham and Richmond.

Bond Street Station Building Work

Tony Devenish: Extremely loud work on Bond Street Western Ticket Hall continued until 12:40am on 26th February and unacceptable noise levels in the middle of the night seem to have become the norm. When operators were challenged on this, they stated that they had received permission for these works. Will you investigate this as a matter of urgency and intervene to ensure everything possible is being done to keep noise levels to a minimum?

The Mayor: Crossrail Ltd and the site contractor apologise for the noise local residents in the vicinity of the Bond Street western ticket hall site experienced on 25 and 26 February. The work in question was part of the testing and commissioning of the station ventilation fans.
During the test, a mobile crane was used, which generated noise. The test was subsequently discontinued at midnight and the crane was derigged, which generated further noise.
Crossrail Ltd and the site contractor have conducted an internal review. They have concluded that a crane will not be used in future for this type of work and that they will continue to strive to keep noise levels to an absolute minimum.

Frequency of the Number 9 bus

Tony Devenish: A constituent of mine wrote to TfL over two months ago, and at the time of tabling this question had not received a response, regarding frequent overcrowding on the number 9 bus. What consideration has been given to increasing the frequency of the number 9 bus route?

The Mayor: Occasionally specific events such as Underground line closures mean that passenger loads on the number 9 bus route can be high. Overall, however, recent Transport for London (TfL) data does not show crowding on weekdays under normal traffic conditions on this route, even at the route’s busiest points.TfL therefore has no plans to increase the general frequency of eight buses per hour during Monday to Saturday day times.
TfL will be in touch with your constituency office to obtain further details, and to make sure the constituent receives a response.

International Bus Benchmarking Group Data

Caroline Pidgeon: In your 10 January 2020 response to Question 2019/20676you stated “TfL intends to publish a simplified synopsis of the 2018 IBBG data later this year.” How is the data to be simplified, who is to carry out this exercise and when will it be published for public scrutiny?

The Mayor: The 2018 data has been anonymised and simplified in the same format as the previous report for Transport for London’s (TfL’s)Independent Investment Programme Advisory Group, which was published in 2017 and is available on the TfL website.
The exercise was carried out by Imperial College, which manages the International Bus Benchmarking Group. The 2018 data will be published in spring 2020.

Delivery of New Trains to Chingford to Liverpool St Line

Jennette Arnold: Please provide an update on when residents can expect delivery of these trains. It is now three months after TfL promised that delivery would be completed.

The Mayor: I am pleased to say that the first of the new trains on the Chingford to Liverpool Street line – and the lines out to Enfield and Cheshunt – was introduced on 3 March 2020.
The new trains are being introduced on a phased basis on these routes to ensure there is a smooth transition for customers and that they are operating reliably. Transport for London expects that all the new trains will be in service by the end of June 2020.

Average bus speeds

Navin Shah: The 27th March 2019 TfL Board papers say, “Weighted bus customer journey time is an accumulation of all the elements of a customer’s journey experience measured in minutes, meaning each element can be tracked over time. This new measure replaces average bus speeds, which will remain as a measure on the scorecard of the Director of Bus Operations.” Will you still be publishing average bus speeds information? Do you have a target for this metric? If so, what is it?

The Mayor: Bus customer journey time is the overall metric used by Transport for London (TfL) to monitor performance. This metric covers the time in the bus, time spent waiting for the bus and the impact of crowding. In contrast, average bus speed only covers the time on the bus.
TfL continues to publish average bus speed information in its budget and annual report. The target for average bus speed in 2020/21 is 9.3mph, compared with a 2019/20 forecast of 9.2 mph.

Wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles

Caroline Russell: How many private hire vehicles (PHVs) currently licensed in London are wheelchair accessible, and what proportion of the fleet do they represent?

The Mayor: Transport for London publishes a list of wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles (PHVs) here: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/designated-vehicles-02.03.2020.pdf
The list (as of 02/03/20) contains 586 wheelchair accessible PHVs, that equates to 0.6 per cent of the overall PHV fleet.
The entire fleet of 18,999 taxis are wheelchair accessible.

H1 Bus Route (2)

Steve O'Connell: What consideration has TfL given to extending the H1 bus route either northwards or southwards?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/1132.

H1 Bus Route (1)

Steve O'Connell: What consideration has TfL given to introducing a stop for the H1 bus route at Sutton Station?

The Mayor: Bus route H1 is a service run by Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. While Transport for London (TfL) issues the London Service Permit under which the H1 operates, it does not plan or run the service. However, TfL has forwarded your suggestion to the Trust for its consideration.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (2)

David Kurten: Since your mayoralty, journey times in taxis have increased significantly, this is attributed to the fact that so many roads are now inaccessible to taxis.
Do you acknowledge that passengers are disputing the cost of the fares due to increased journey times and in an attempt to defuse any hostility, many taxi drivers are charging much less than what is shown on the taximeter? However, by trying to defuse these conflicts, taxi drivers are putting themselves in financial hardship when charging less than the metered fare - what advice can you offer?

The Mayor: The metered fare is displayed to taxi passengers throughout the journey so that they are aware of the amount to be charged. The metered fare is the maximum that a taxi driver can charge a customer, however, taxi drivers are not obliged to charge the metered fare and can accept less if they choose to do so.
Please also see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/1055.

240 bus

Andrew Dismore: The 240 bus route runs through town centres, residential areas and passes many schools in Mill Hill, Edgware and Hendon. It still uses polluting Euro IV diesel buses, increasing the risk of respiratory disease (especially in younger children). A local resident in Barnet contacted TfL customer services, who seem to think that the company in charge of running this service, Metroline, has been using contractually compliant Euro VI buses. This is unfortunately not the case according to the resident and harmful pollutants continue to be emitted on a daily basis by these buses. Will you look into this and ensure these buses are up to standard?

The Mayor: The 240 bus route will be raised to the ultra-clean engine standard by autumn 2020.
The overall Euro VI retrofit and replacement programme is very well advanced, with 95 per cent of the fleet already at this level or better. Once we reach 100 per cent, Transport for London will be moving to a zero-tailpipe-emission fleet as quickly and economically as possible, working towards the next major milestone of 2,000 zero-tailpipe-emission buses by 2025.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (1)

David Kurten: Since your mayoralty journey times in taxis have increased significantly, this is attributed to the fact that so many roads are now inaccessible to taxis.
Do you acknowledge that taxi drivers are at the coal face and passengers are taking their frustration out on drivers for increased journey times and this is causing poor mental health for London's taxi drivers?

The Mayor: I am aware that a small number of borough and City of London roads have been closed to traffic, other than buses and cycles, predominantly for safety or environmental reasons, however the vast majority of London remains accessible to taxis.
I take the mental health and overall wellbeing of taxi and private hire licensees very seriously. Transport for London is clear that for their own wellbeing, it is vital that anyone who feels that they are struggling with a mental health issue should seek professional help and support which should be provided by the appropriate medical services.
TfL is also committed to supporting the taxi and private hire trades in identifying the support resources available. It has developed an online resource for drivers, which includes the details of organisations to contact if they need advice, guidance or help. As part of this work, TfL has been in contact with a range of organisations that have specialist knowledge in the fields of mental health and overall wellbeing. This resource can be found here: www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/health-and-wellbeing
On 3 December 2019, TfL held a health and wellbeing forum to bring all of this knowledge together, alongside senior representatives from the taxi and private hire industry, which explored and promoted the help that is available to individual drivers. The presentations from this forum are available at the link above.
Awareness of mental health issues is also being raised through a continuing series of wellbeing articles in TfL’s “On Route” trade magazine and in a weekly email that is sent to 100,000 licensees.

Helicopter Noise

Tony Devenish: In reference to MQ 2018/5506, what success have you had in lobbying the Civil Aviation Authority and Government to review and amend the noise regime to ensure reduced noise exposure from helicopters?

The Mayor: I am concerned about the number of helicopters overflying London and the significant noise exposure that Londoners suffer as a result. Regrettably, my powers over the regulation of noise from helicopters are extremely limited and ultimately it is the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority and Government to drive a meaningful reduction in noise from helicopter flights. If Government were to establish a fully independent aviation noise regulator, it could be well-placed with powers to set the noise framework, monitor compliance and enforce decisions including imposing penalties.
I have called for a regulator of this type to be established on numerous occasions, most recently in my submission to the initial consultation of the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise which can be viewed on TfL’s website: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/iccan-strategy-consultation-response.pdf I will continue to call for this important change.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (4)

David Kurten: Do you accept the more roads that are inaccessible to taxis, the less people will use taxis, therefore, the taxi trade will continue to reduce in size?

The Mayor: No. London’s taxis are rightly world renowned and this is in no small part due to the fact that every driver has undertaken and passed the Knowledge of London. This extraordinary process requires them to memorise the many thousands of streets and points of interest within a 6-mile radius of Charing Cross – enabling them to navigate the complex streets of London and delivering their passengers to their chosen destination by the shortest route, no matter what the traffic conditions.
There are now approximately 660 taxi ranks in London, considerably more than the 20 per cent increase in rank numbers that I committed to in my Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan published in 2016. In addition, Transport for London’s records show that 22 additional bus lanes have been made available to taxis since May 2016, and that 93 per cent of bus lanes across London permit taxi access (this figure includes borough roads and those on the Transport for London Road Network).
I am aware that a small number of borough and City of London roads have been closed to traffic, other than buses and cycles, predominantly for safety or environmental reasons, however the vast majority of London remains accessible to taxis.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (5)

David Kurten: In my experience from talking to taxi drivers, most of the taxi trade agree that your taxi & private hire action plan has failed. Do you agree and understand the frustration of taxi drivers?

The Mayor: A host of measures have been delivered since I launched my Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan to improve public safety and support our taxi and private hire trades.
The majority of commitments have been met and details of these are set out below under the headings from the Action Plan:
Enhancing public safety
New initiatives for the taxi trade
Delivering the greenest taxi fleet in the world
Lobbying for additional powers
TfL was an active member of the Department for Transport's Task and Finish Group, which published its report including a number of important recommendations: www.gov.uk/government/publications/taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-licensing-recommendations-for-a-safer-and-more-robust-system.
The Government responded to these recommendations and simultaneously launched a consultation on statutory guidance for taxi and private hire licensing authorities:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/847315/taxi-task-and-finish-gov-repsonse.pdf
As we await the outcome of the government consultation, TfL and I continue to lobby government for important legislative changes, including a cap on the number of private hire drivers, reform of cross border hiring, statutory definitions of plying for hire and pre-booked and high-level national minimum standards.
Regular updates regarding the work TfL is carrying out are provided by a variety of means including, on TfL's website, via the media and social media, in a weekly email to 100,000 licensees, during GLA question sessions and through continual engagement with the taxi and private hire trades.

Temporary Hammersmith Road Bridge

Tony Devenish: Will TfL please now seriously consider the latest (revised) robust Beckett Rankine proposal for the speedy installation of a cost-effective temporary road bridge in order to relieve the air-polluting traffic gridlock in SW London?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has not formally received a revised Beckett Rankine proposal.
TfL and Hammersmith & Fulham Council have both concluded that building a temporary bridge for motorised vehicles would require a substantially larger structure in the river, and would be more expensive and disruptive to build, as opposed to a temporary bridge for pedestrians and cycles.
It would also either require traffic to be redirected through residential streets, the possible acquisition and demolition of private property, or the use of existing green space. It could also block and further constrain the navigational channel for river traffic, due to the need for more piers in the river.

Routemaster Boarding

Tony Devenish: By banning entry on middle and back doors of new Routemasters, are you hitting people with disabilities, senior citizens and those with toddlers? Why has there been no public consultation on this blunt measure?

The Mayor: The change to boarding arrangements has brought New Routemasters in line with other London buses, most of which board only at the front door. As front door boarding is by far the most usual way to board a bus in London, Transport for London (TfL) did not publicly consult on something that was already common practice.
Users who require the middle door can continue to use the middle door when required, and will no longer need to share this entry with other customers.
The main reason for making this change is to reduce fare evasion. Recent fare evasion rates on New Routemasters were an average of 5.4 per cent, compared to 1.6 per cent on two-door buses, and TfL estimates that more than £3.6m of revenue that could have been invested in transport was being lost each year through New Routemaster fare evasion. A pilot trial on route 8 from August 2019 confirmed switching to front door boarding led to a big drop in fare evasion, without significantly affecting the route’s reliability. This trial also attracted a positive reaction from customers, who were pleased that fare evasion was being tackled.

Announcement of Retention Bonus for London Bus Drivers

Keith Prince: Please provide me with all the communication and documentation between City Hall, TfL and Unite the Union pertaining to your 14 February 2020 announcement to give TfL Bus Drivers a retention bonus.

The Mayor: I have asked Transport for London to contact your office with this information.

TfL target for bus speeds

Caroline Pidgeon: I understand that TfL currently has a target of average speeds of buses of 9.2 mph. Will you take steps to ensure that a more ambitious target is set for 2020/2021?

The Mayor: Transport for London is forecasting an average bus speed of 9.2 mph for 2019/20, based on actual speeds in the year to date. It has set a more challenging target of 9.3 mph for 2020/21, as set out in its 2020/21 budget. This is despite the fact that there is expected to be a significant increase in street works affecting bus routes in the coming year.